ISLAMABAD, July 3 (Xinhuanet) -- Pakistani Foreign Minister Khursheed Mahmood Kasuri Sunday reiterated his country's firm commitment not to join arms race in the region, but said Pakistan would maintain a credible defence to ensure its sovereignty, according to the Associated Press of Pakistan.

    Addressing a press conference in Lahore, capital of the eastern Punjab province, Kasuri said there was nothing to worry about the defence pact signed between the United States and India as both are sovereign countries like Pakistan.

    He said that India purchased weapons from Russia, Germany and France in the past on which Pakistan had never raised alarm and that this time it has expressed concern with the United States over supply of improvised weapons like anti-ballistic missiles.

    Kasuri said Pakistan, which has fought three major wars with India after partition in 1947, was not in arms race in the region but at the same time it would maintain "minimum credible deterrance" to ensure its sovereignty.

    India is a huge country but at the same time both Pakistan and India are nuclear powers and "it is necessary to maintain conventional balance to avert nuclear war in the region", Kasuri said, stressing that war should be avoided at all cost.

    Defence ministers of the United States and India recently signed a 10-year defence pact, paving the way for joint weapons production, cooperation on missile defense and possible lifting of US export controls for sensitive military technologies. Enditem